Three Brothers Leading Maury from Ray Gajan

This is an article about Jamal Ferguson, an MU recruit, and his 2 brothers who all happen to play on the Maury High School basketball team.
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Three Brothers Leading Maury
By Larry Rubama of The Virginian-Pilot © January 20, 2012

NORFOLK,VA

Jack Baker has seen just about everything in his 36 years of coaching.

But this season, the Maury basketball coach has a first.

Three brothers – Jamal, Jaleel and Avontae Ferguson – are in the Commodores’ starting lineup.

“It’s kind of neat,” Baker said. “If one comes, they all come. If one is late, they’re all late. If you yell at one, you’ve got to yell at all of them.”

Baker knew 6-foot-5 senior Jamal would be the team’s leader and go-to player. He also knew that 6-5 sophomore Jaleel would give the Commodores help in the low post with scoring and rebounding.

But Baker said Avontae, a 6-2 sophomore, was an unknown before the season and wasn’t expected to have an impact – or make the varsity team. He wasn’t the only one.

“I really didn’t expect to make the team,” Avontae said, “but I appreciate it and I’m thankful for playing with my older brothers.”

Avontae started the season with the varsity squad and cracked the starting lineup early this season when Jamal was sidelined with a concussion. The Commodores began the season as South Hampton Roads’ top-ranked team, but after a 3-0 start lost 3 of 4 games. They played two of them without Jamal, a highly touted recruit who has signed with nationally ranked Marquette.

Avontae’s play came as a surprise to Baker, but he provided much-needed help with Jamal out of the lineup.

“When we were struggling a little bit I decided to give him a shot,” Baker said. “And he’s been in there ever since and has done a great job for us. He’s still learning, but he’s gotten better and better as the season’s progressed.”

Jamal said seeing his younger brothers on varsity is a great thing for the family but also puts added pressure on him.

“It does feel good, but I know I have to play my game because they look up to me,” said Jamal, 18. “So if I play good then I know they’re going to play hard, too, and that’s going to help out the whole team.”

Patricia Ferguson always dreamed that one day all three boys would play on the same team. And she would let them know about her dream. While they didn’t believe it would happen, she did.

“I guess her dream came true,” Avontae said. “She’s really proud of us.”

Patricia also is relieved.

“This is the first time in their playing career that all three are on the same team,” she said. “During the summer I had to run to three different games when they were playing for Boo Williams (in AAU basketball). So I really love this because now they can all play together.”

Patricia’s eldest son, Bryant Wiggins, was an All-Tidewater player in 2003 and 2004 at Maury. She enjoyed watching him play, too, but added that there’s something special about watching three sons play, especially during team introductions.

“I just feel like a proud mother,” she said. “I’m just so proud of all three because I’ve always raised them so close together.”

Jamal leads the team in scoring at 14.5 points per game, while Jaleel averages 13.5. Avontae has averaged 9.5 in the past four games.

Baker said there haven’t been any problems, unless all three are on the bench.

“You can’t yell ‘Ferguson’ because all three will get up and run to the scorer’s table,” he said. “But it’s been kind of fun. The camaraderie makes it so much easier when you have three. They talk to each other out there, but they also tell each other what they should and should not be doing. It really takes a little off me during the ballgames and during practice.”

Baker has only one complaint for Patricia.

“I got mad and told her that she should have had two more sons because then all of them would start,” he said jokingly.

Said Patricia, “I told him, ‘Three – isn’t that enough?’   ”

Larry Rubama, 757-446-2273, larry.rubama@pilotonline.com